


The Start of a Bond

by EpicKiya722



Series: The Eel & the Dolphin [1]
Category: Aquaman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Aquatic Attributes, Atlanteans, Developing Friendships, Dolphin is Precious, Fight Me on It!, First Meetings, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Kaldur is Precious, Male-Female Friendship, Muteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 06:16:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14538486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpicKiya722/pseuds/EpicKiya722
Summary: From an (un)likely unfortunate event, two individual Atlanteans find themselves forming a friendship.





	The Start of a Bond

**Author's Note:**

> Shut up, I came to love Dolphin. So I wanted to write a story about her involving my other fave AquaFam member.  
> I can see these two being besties. Like the ultimate pair of friends that are 100% too cool for you. Having bioluminescence? Yes. Having electric powers? Yes! Can you imagine those two getting in a fight and Kaldur going, "Blind and shock them?" and Dolphin just nodding, ready to get her glow?  
> Or them comparing their webbing? Or rolling their eyes eveytime someone does or says something that's just 'what'?
> 
> Now, I'm actually putting a mix of Dolphin's character. I'm more familiar with her recent characterization, the mute 'get my glow in' Dolphin, but I have done some research on her from earlier years and I like both. She's just so cute!

Sometimes, living underwater, you tend to drift in your thoughts. That's what she did.

Drifting in her thoughts.

Distracted until once more she had been harassed. Not that she was put down from it. Dolphin could care less about what others thought. If she could, she would verbally expressed her disinterest about what the 'pure Atlanteans' and their ways of 'cleansing' Atlantis. Honestly, it was annoying, a nuisance.

 This daily routine of swimming from Purists was oddly and rightfully tiring and sicking. It bothered her more that they went as far as to swim practically miles from Atlantis' border and found her, but won't even put a toe out on the sand.

Damn shame.

She mockingly grinned at them, proudly standing there at their fright of the land they probably curse as a hobby.

They glared at her, grumbling before sinking back into the water.

As she wanted, she was left alone, standing there on the beach. She doesn't notice that where she stood the sand was being colored with small drops of bright red until pain suddenly registered in her. Wincing, she looks and see a cut decorating the expose left side of her torso. It's not deep, but it's long and stings badly. Dolphin lightly  touches it, quickly pulling her hand back when a harsher pain struck.

She needs help, even if it will be hard to find.

After all. She has scales.

* * *

After weeks of fighting goons, destroying mutant plants and crushing abominable devices, he was able to relax.

Coming home, a little beach house he came to possess, was a blessing. During the weeks, he constantly crashed in his room at the Hideout. He worries that the bed at his beach house would feel unfamiliar, but promises himself he'll endure it.

Kaldur turns on the light in the hallway, shredding his jacket on the way to his room. He decides to just open the somewhat sheer green curtains to his room to let light in. He pulls the blinds back a little, the beams giving a clear display of his room.

His bed (it may be a waterbed) with dark blue sheets and turquoise blankets, blue walls, a TV and its stand, a dresser, a closet and an empty fish tank that he plans in moving to the den area. He haven't gotten any fish yet because well... again busy.

Now he has the time.

Kaldur sighs, flopping on his bed, causing the sheets and blankets to ruffle a bit. His arms are sprawled, one leg bent upwards at the knee and the other dangling over the edge of his bed. He lets relaxation sink into him, closing his eyes briefly and inhaling and exhaling to take in the scent of nearby seawater and sand. It's homely and gentle. A much appreciated change from the constant smells of soot and indescribable substances conjured to kill a person that a villain of the week cooks up.

He lays there, thinking about how his day and the others that follow will go.

"Hopefully, without any tentacle monsters or demonic witches.", he mumbles to himself. He switches to his side, a strange precaution telling him to look out his wall sized glass sliding door. And he does.

And when he does, he makes a figure yards from his house. From what he could see, it's a person.

He sits up, alert and opening the door and heading on to his wooden balcony. He sees that the person is female. Her skin lacks a tan and her hair is just as white. She adorns dark navy shorts and a white tattered shirt. Surprisingly and not so, it's not her shimmering blue scales that throws him through a loop. It's the visible cut on her side. It sends his mind to immediately help the woman.

Kaldur doesn't hesitate either to go down the steps and run to her, catching her in time when she stumble a little.

"Hey, I got you.", he assured calmly, holding her securely and comfortably so she didn't feel any more pain than she she.

She gave him a grateful small smile, allowing him to lead her into the house.

* * *

Dolphin felt the pain from the cut decrease, watching as the other lightly dabbled a cotton pad on it. He would occasionally ask her if she was okay and she would nod back.

 He didn't seem bothered by her lack of speech, more focused on tending to her wound. He didn't even seem bothered by her scales, which she could have concealed, but the cut had distracted her.

She got a clue as to why he didn't question her scales or anything.

He had gills. And webbing.

Truthfully, it brought comfort and relief to Dolphin that a possible fellow Atlantean had came to her aid.

"There. I just got to bandage this.", he said, getting rid of the cotton pads he used and taking three large bandages out the first aid kit. Carefully, he covered the cut, stepping away when he finished. "I hope that feels a lot better."

She nods once more, thankfulness blanketing her face.

He takes a seat across from her on the sofa, she seated on the lounge chair.

They stare at each other for a while, not somewhat awkward, yet... calm maybe.

Dolphin takes the time to take in his other features. Light hair like her, but more golden than snowy. Bronzed skin with the addition of black eel tattoos on his arms. Pale green eyes.

Vaguely, Dolphin is reminded of a woman that she once met in Atlantis.

Same green eyes, same colored hair.

"Do you want to tell me what happened to you?", he asked, polite and cautious.

 Dolphin takes a moment to decide. Honestly, what did she have to lose?

Something tells her to tell him.

To... make a friend.

She mimics her hand as a paper and pretends to write.

He takes a moment to get the gist of it, realizing that she's mute.

"Oh. You can't speak." He stands heading the nearby shelves, taking a paper pad and a pen that was seated in a cup with other writing utensils. He hands it to her, sitting back down and waiting as she wrote down a brief statement. About a minute or two later, she passes the pad to him and watches as he reads the words. His eyes seemingly darkened at some points.

"Them... ugh..."

Her eyebrows raises at the harshness of his tone.

His eyes meet hers, apologetic and understanding. "I fully understand just how frustrating the Purifiers are. And I have a lot of unpleasant words for them." He exhaled sharply, briefly looking out into where the ocean was. She noticed a bit of homesickness in his eyes. She frowned, cautiously reaching over to touch his wrist, catching his attention.

He turned back to her, seeing her quickly scribbling on the pad before turning it to him.

_"You miss Atlantis, don't you?"_

"I do, when I'm here on the surface. I worry about my family everyday.", he answers. "I thought it was something I dealt with years ago, but I realize my homesickness is not something that will just go away."

She writes something else.

_"It just shows that you still care about Atlantis. About your family. Even if you're on the surface. No matter how screwed up Atlantis is."_

He chuckles, agreeing. "Yeah. The surface is also screwed up, too."

_"Agreed."_

They laugh, the mood lightening up in the room. He stands up suddenly and asked, "Would you like any water or something?"

  _"Water is fine. :)"_

Somehow, the little smiley face on the paper lightens his mood.

* * *

The two must have gone through at least six bottles together within the past hour.

During that time, they took the time to learn a little about each other.

Kaldur felt sympathy for Dolphin, learning of her troubled past. Almost drowned after falling overboard, only to turn around and be abducted and experimented on? And when she could, she escaped to Atlantis, yet often ridiculed for her mutation and inability to speak. He found out that she could speak a little, but sometimes it was difficult for her, so she'd communicate through sign and body language.

Dolphin had took a quick liking to Kaldur, finding out that he had the courage to leave a place he's known all his life to another unknown and foreign to him. And then, he surprisingly hasn't lost his sanity from not only being an 'outsider' from the other heroes, undercover missions, unfair treatment, antics and having to be the biological son of Aquaman's most dangerous, lethal, all-time nemesis Black Manta.

There was also some similarities between them.

Besides being some attachment to Atlantis, there's a part of them that is human. They felt detached, yet welcome in both places.Their abilities was also a bit similar, a difference of how they illuminate light. And then physically, there's the fair-colored hair, unique eyes, webbing and gills. Dolphin was able to conceal her aquatic features at will, however, yet just felt more comfortable with them revealed, including the scales.

"Dolphin, are you hungry? I think I could go for some pizza."

At the question, Dolphin's stomach released a growl.

She shot a sheepish grin at him, nodding.

He returned a smile, heading to the kitchen and going for the freezer to pull out a frozen pizza.

"Would you like to take a shower while it cooks? I think I have some spare clothes you could wear.", Kaldur offered, peeking from the around the wall separating the kitchen and den.

Dolphin got to her feet with an urgent nod. By now, her cut should be healed, so she wouldn't have to worry about bandaging.

After he stuck the pizza in the oven, he lead her to the guest room. Dolphin sat criss-cross on the bed, watching him take out a box from the closet and scrimmaging through it. He took out numerous articles of clothing, allowing her to see them and personally choose what she wanted. She got up and picked up a pair of blue jeans and a button-up white shirt.

She held up the jeans, drawing her lips in a fine line as she eyed the legs of it, then staring down at her own scales decorating her skin. She really didn't want to cover her mutation right now. It was tiring to hold it, and besides, this was another Atlantea sharing her company.

Kaldur watched as she sat back on the bed, gripping the jeans at the middle of the thigh tightly. An audible ripping could be heard as she tore at the material. She stiffened, staring at the huge tear and then at Kaldur who just chuckled.

"I don't like sleeves. Or shoes. It's fine."

Dolphin pointed at her own foot, wiggling her scaly toes, showing the pink webbing between them.

"Yup. Humans need to make shoes that are comfortable for our kind of feet. Or just more comfortable shoes in general. Have you seen them?"

The female Atlantean nodded, having so during the times she has been on the surface. Some shoes didn't look comfortable at all.

Like heels.

Kaldur got to his feet, pushing the box back into the closet. He gestured to the other door within the room. "There's the bathroom. There are already towels and other toiletries for you in there.", he said, heading to exit the room. Dolphin nodded in understanding for him to go, giving a smile. He left her to her own devices, going to check on the pizza.

* * *

"Okay, I thought I was the only one! Like what's wrong with pineapples on pizza?"

Dolphin and Kaldur sat on the couch, half paying to the television while eating the recently done pizza. Oddly enough, Dolphin had requested pineapples on hers, drawing said fruit on her given pad. It lead to their half verbal discussion.

"I have seen people turn their nose up at it yet is totally fine with putting a lot of stuff on their hotdogs. I still have no clue what is in a hotdog."

She scribbled on the paper and then shrugged.

_"Same. :-P"_

"It's almost as funny as the belief Atlanteans don't eat fish."

_"I know! What they think we eat? Coral?! It's too crunchy."_

At the joke, they giggled, glancing at the screen briefly to see someone somehow roll on a table and fall to the floor.

They gave each other a brief glance before laughing.

They ate the last of the pizza, Kaldur taking their plates in the kitchen. There was a sudden patter against the outside walls of the beach house. The two glanced over at the glass sliding door, seeing droplets of rain hitting the sand and the wooden floor of the patio.

Once more, they shared a look as they both got closer to get a better look.

The sky had darkened to a burnt orange, littered with specks of grey.

Dolphin grabbed her pad and quickly wrote in inside it.

_"That's a weird color combo..."_

Kaldur did a small tilt of his head and shrugged.

"Weird, but you got to admit it is aesthetically beautiful."

_"Eh... you're right..."_

They stayed quiet a little longer, just staring at the rain, while thoughts rummaged through their heads.

It seemed like forecwe before their eyes met, Dolphin holding up the pad again.

_"Wouldn't be awesome, childish and expected of us to go dancing in the rain?"_

"It would be."

_"We should do it."_

Kaldur shot her a look with a raised eyebrow. She just grinned.

His lips drawn upwards, arms crossing over his chest.

"I think we're going to make great friends."

**Author's Note:**

> So... while writing this and the story 'Aqua-Hotness', I have an urge to a write series just centered around the cast of Aquaman characters or just the friendship between these two.  
> Might I just do it!
> 
> Also, I read that Dolphin is capable of speech, just not comfortable enough to use as much due to her lack of contact with others. So I think she is able to laugh and make small noises, it's just not as vocal.


End file.
